MLS in FM/WWMS: What's wrong, and how to fix it

[CCSUltra]

North American LLM management would be a wet dream for me. I would love to manage Cleveland City. Plus, making the lower leagues playable would make the US Open Cup that much more interesting.

[sydfc4ever]

I have tried to play the MLS on a couple of occasions, on the last one i tried to play with a completly US team built from the draft (i picked up 11 draft picks through trades to help this) but all i got were sub-standard players who couldn't cut it. i was very dissapointed.

if they can find a way to implement expansion i would be deligted, the A-League expansion thread is more about swapping the league with another (although it was possible to expand it with 7.0.1, i had 1 running with 15 teams). we have already got 2 more teams coming within the next few years and the promise of more a year or 2 later, i'd love that to be in the game.

oh, and congrats Murmer, hope you can still get some sleep!

[Amaroq]

Murmer, congrats on fatherhood and also thanks very much for the brilliant posts.

I've been playing an MLS career and noticing many of the issues you've listed; you've done an excellent job summarizing.

I'm not sure I agree with you that expansion is a "must have" as strong as the other items in the list, but the things you've listed have all been key. The regen quality, especially, as well as the Developmental contract bug.

I'd add a couple items:

- "Offer to Clubs" - MLS clubs need to be able to make offers to clubs, both offering for cash sale external to the MLS, and offering to MLS clubs in trade. (Unspecified - "I'd like to trade Beckham. What'll you give me for him?")

- The L.A. Galaxy have the odd "Delay lots of games until after Beckham arrives" schedule for the 2008 season, not just the 2007 season .. that should be a one-off, with a more balanced schedule for subsequent seasons.

- Trade for draft picks - I'd like the list of draft picks for each team to include the ability to initiate a trade for it (e.g., as L.A., I select New England's 2009 Superdraft 2nd Round pick, and have some way to say "Make Offer") .. also, to "offer to clubs", and of course this should be only MLS clubs. (e.g., as L.A., I select my own 2009 2nd Round pick, and Offer to Clubs: "What will you give me for this selection?")

Regarding AI behavior..

- Budget: I've noticed that my board discuss our "Wage Budget", but indicate the Salary Cap value as my wage budget. As you said, I think that the board needs to have a different number: what its willing to spend including the Designated Players. For "big market" clubs, that number should be well above the Salary Cap number.

- D.P.: Obviously, AI clubs then need to use their Designated Player slot .. and I haven't noticed being able to *offer* a D.P. myself. Maybe my two slots are still occupied, though?

- March waivers: AI clubs waive players well before the "cut to 28" date, when it is not (yet) necessary to do so. These players are then not in the waiver draft.

- Making trades to free up space: it would be nice to see clubs do some "creative trading" to free up space, instead of always waiving players to make things work. For example, if signing a ninth international on July 1st, the club should use their eight internationals into June, but should then begin trying to trade one to make room for the incoming player. Ideally, they'd set up a trade by mid- to late June .. to a club which doesn't have a big July 1st signing coming in. The same goes for winter moves - the clubs should spend February and March trying to trade the "valuable" players who don't fit their roster restrictions (salary cap or senior-players limit).

- Contract renewals: I couldn't get Landon Donovan to agree to a new contract (his expires in 2008). I started trying to renew around July of 2007, and when he hadn't shown any inclination to even discuss terms by May of 2008, I had to sell him for cash. It seemed a bit wrong .. I'd have liked to see him be willing to re-sign with an MLS team despite his reputation. (When I compare that to what you said about DP-quality players not being willing to sign for MLS, I wonder if "salary" isn't a sufficient consideration alongside "reputation", or if the MLS' reputation is too low.)

- Rental players: I also see AI teams struggling to re-sign their star players, but unwilling to trade said player. For a top team, this makes sense - you keep the player, and you see if you can win the title this year. However, for a team which is struggling and looks like it isn't going to make the playoffs (or do well in the playoffs), it is not uncommon to trade that player for future talent, either developmental prospects, draft picks, or both. We call those "rental players".